Hunting Regulations AND INFORMATION
Big Game – Bear Restrictions It is unlawful to do any of the following: • Take a cub (less than 75 pounds) or a female bear with cub(s). • Hunt bear on a designated bear management area. (See pages 79–80 for information on Designated Bear Management Areas.) Mandatory Bear Tooth Submission • It is mandatory to submit at least one pre- molar tooth from your harvested bear by January 31st following the applicable bear hunting season. • After pulling both upper premolar teeth (see ad below and instructions at ncwildlife.gov/ bearcooperator ), place one of the teeth in the bear tooth envelope you received in the mail from the Commission. Save the other tooth as a backup until you have been notified by the Commission that we received your tooth. • If you lost the bear tooth envelope , call 919- 707-0050 to have a new envelope sent to you. Information on the use of dogs to hunt bears and the use of unprocessed foods is on pages 54, 55, and 61. The following additional restrictions apply to Designated Bear Management Areas: • Dogs may not be used to pursue bear, except during permit hunts that allow hunting bear with dogs. • It is unlawful to take feral swine on Desig- nated Bear Management Areas except during the deer archery season, deer blackpowder season, deer gun season and any small game season using only weapons and manner of take prescribed for that hunting season. • Dogs may not be used to take feral swine. • Dogs shall not be trained or allowed to run unleashed between March 1 and the Monday on or nearest October 15 on designated Des- ignated Bear Management Areas located in and west of the counties and parts of coun- ties in Alamance County south of I-85, Or- ange County south of I-85, Chatham County, Lee County, Wake County south of N.C. 98; and in and west of Rockingham, Guilford, Randolph, and Montgomery counties and that part of Anson County west of N.C. 742.
BEAR HUNTING SEASONS Daily limit 1; Season limit 1 SEASON DATES MOUNTAIN BEAR MANAGEMENT UNIT SEASONS Oct. 4 – Nov. 22, 2025 Dec. 13, 2025 – Jan. 1, 2026 PIEDMONT BEAR MANAGEMENT UNIT SEASONS
APPLICABLE COUNTY OR COUNTIES
In and west of Surry, Wilkes, Caldwell, Burke, Cleveland. Note: Further game land restrictions may apply. See the “Game Lands” section for specific game land rules.
Franklin, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Moore, Richmond, Scotland, Vance, Wake, Warren Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Caswell, Chatham, David- son, Durham, Granville, Guilford, Lee, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Orange, Person, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly, Union Alexander, Catawba, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Stokes, Yadkin
Oct. 18, 2025 – Jan. 1, 2026
Nov. 15, 2025 – Jan. 1, 2026
Nov. 22, 2025 – Jan. 1, 2026
COASTAL BEAR MANAGEMENT UNIT SEASONS Nov. 8 – 23 and Dec. 13 – Dec. 28, 2025
Zone 1: Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell
Nov. 8 – 16 and Dec. 13 – Dec. 28, 2025
Zone 2: Camden*, Chowan*, Currituck, Gates, Pasquo- tank*, Perquimans Zone 3: Beaufort, Bertie, Craven, Hertford, Jones, Martin, Washington Zone 4: Edgecombe, Greene, Halifax, Lenoir, Nash, Northampton, Pitt, Wayne, Wilson Zone 5: Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Cum- berland, Duplin, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico (use of dogs for hunting bears prohibited in this county), Pender, Robeson, Sampson
Nov. 8 – 16 and Dec. 13 – 28, 2025
Nov. 15 – Dec. 14, 2025
Nov. 10, 2025 – Jan. 1, 2026
* Per local law, bear season in these counties opens on Nov. 7.
Attention Bear Hunters! If you harvest a black bear, you must submit a premolar tooth by Jan. 31 after the season.
• Extract the premolar teeth, scan QR code for demo. • Place one of the teeth in the bear envelope you received in the mail with your bear e-stamp info. • Keep the other tooth as a backup. • You will receive an age report and Cooperator hat. Questions? beartooth@ncwildlife.gov 919-707-0050
60 2025–2026
Please note: Major regulation changes appear in RED
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